Is stealth seeing something of a boost lately?

[Esperahol]

Batman Arkham: Origin, The Last of Us, The Evil Within, Watch Dogs, etc. – it seems like a lot of recent and/or upcoming games are looking at stealth as something that has to be done. I know that a lot of people don’t like mandatory or mostly mandatory stealth… so why all the recent stealth? Maybe this is the answer to complaints about constant gunning and relentless violence? Maybe there are some test groups I should be joining? I don’t know, but I feel like there has been something of a serious change and I don’t have a problem with it.

 

[Joker99352]

I don't think so, but I think more and more developers are doing it "right" nowadays. The Arkham games are an excellent example of stealth done right. Stealth done wrong is any game where you get caught, die, and restart at a point from a half an hour ago. When the fear of failure is so great that it causes you to feel very anxious during stealth sequences (like I do), it really soils the experience. But I do think stealth is a nice alternative to all-out violence and mayhem, though I still prefer it to be optional.

 

[Esperahol]

Hmm, I'll have to disagree on your definition of stealth done wrong. Of course, that is mostly because of my habit of periodic saves and such. I save every twenty minutes just in case of thunderstorms, construction, freezes, glitches, and random screwups. That said actual anxiety is what makes some games awesome especially if you ask the Nostalgic gamers. When you feel that invested it's a wonderful thing.

 

[OniBlackMage]

I absolutely think stealth games are on the rise and people are developing an appetite for them.The problem really is that most people are exposed to stealth in a negative way, like the forced stealth segment in an otherwise action-oriented game, so its a frustrating change of pace for some. Its like the mandatory driving segments, which are usually lame, but that's wholly separate from the popularity for driving games (we have 6 driving titles coming out next-gen over the next year alone).

Otherwise, with the Deus Ex, Hitman, Arkham, Assassin's Creed, Dishonored games, along with the recent The Last of Us, and the upcoming games like Splinter Cell Blacklist and Thief 4, no one can really deny Stealth games are getting more popular these days. Stealth games with the right context, that is a game world and controls intended for it, are well received by many, even if other games attempt to cash in on that by inappropriately shoving them into their own game.

 

[Esperahol]

OniBlackMage you deserve an Internet. You hit on the head why so many seem to dislike stealth, but enjoy stealth games (depending). Most of the time they are being introduced to it in a genre not made for that kind of gameplay. That said I hate anything that is entered into a game just because it's "popular". It is almost never done right and it takes away from enjoyment of the game.

 

[Medza]

I think what we are seeing is bastardised stealth. There have been some good true stealth games out recently such as Dishonored , Deus Ex and the Last of Us, but a lot of the more recent games use stealth as a bit of a 'meh' mechanic, as in you can stealth if you want to but we won't really care if you don't, and games like Batman Arkham City and Assassins Creed definitely qualify into this. We are sadly shifting away from the original idea of stealth , and instead we get this more casual approach which I personally don't like.

 

[lindbergh]

Stealth games has already had a boost in the past especially in the PS1 and the PS2. Games like Metal Gear Solid 1 to 3, Siphon Filter games, Tenchu games, the Hitman games, the Splinter Cell games, Manhunt 1 and 2... I think that the developers are just picking up where they left off. I think stealth games received a lot of boost in the PS2 and it just carried over to the next generation of consoles.

 

[Reptar_On_Ice]

I guess being all sneaky and getting stealth kills and such is pretty satisfying. I suppose the boost has just come from an over-saturation with 'balls to the wall', Michael Bay esque action. While those types of games are still fun, many are tilting towards understated, shadowy, stealthy action as a sort of response. A balance, if you will.

 

[Gamer_Fries]

I'm not sure their getting a boost but there are more games doing it right and being recognized for it. Like there have always been good stealth games but they were usually on PC and just not popular with the mainstream, I'm looking at Thief in particular.
Either way I'm still glad that good stealth games are being made and people are actually playing them with enjoyment.

 

[Mudgee]

I don't think so, but I think more and more developers are doing it "right" nowadays.

I agree, we are just seeing a vast improvement in how its done, and its now being done by some heavy hitting developers with big $$$ budgets.

 

[Esperahol]

I think what we are seeing is bastardised stealth. There have been some good true stealth games out recently such as Dishonored , Deus Ex and the Last of Us, but a lot of the more recent games use stealth as a bit of a 'meh' mechanic, as in you can stealth if you want to but we won't really care if you don't, and games like Batman Arkham City and Assassins Creed definitely qualify into this. We are sadly shifting away from the original idea of stealth , and instead we get this more casual approach which I personally don't like.

I agree with you. However, a lot of people consider that sort of bastardization to be "stealth done right". A lot of folks get frustrated with traditional stealth and so prefer to just have the option of shooting their way out if worse comes to worse. In some ways I'm find with that, but you're correct in that stealth as a concept is in some ways being watered down.

 

[BlackSolaris]

Batman Arkham: Origin, The Last of Us, The Evil Within, Watch Dogs, etc. – it seems like a lot of recent and/or upcoming games are looking at stealth as something that has to be done. I know that a lot of people don’t like mandatory or mostly mandatory stealth… so why all the recent stealth? Maybe this is the answer to complaints about constant gunning and relentless violence? Maybe there are some test groups I should be joining? I don’t know, but I feel like there has been something of a serious change and I don’t have a problem with it.

I don't think much of those are "stealth games". They are action games with stealth parts in them. What i think a stealth game is defined by the possibility of completing the entire game or at least 90% of it by sneaking and keeping a passive action through the levels, just like a ghost.

 

[rcg2222]

I think there have been so many bombastic shootout games lately that players are looking for a change. I personally love stealth missions in games like CoD, but I don't know how I feel about an entire game of such a thing. I guess I'd have to give it a shot.

 

[ozadin]

I think stealth games are in a decent position right now. Not overrated, but not underused either. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of stealthy games, especially the ones that require you to use some sort of stealth in a certain mission, or throughout the game. The Last of Us is a good example of a decent stealth game which I like. You actually have the choice whether to go the stealthy way by throwing rocks or bottles, but on the other hand, you also have a choice of bashing their skull in with a spiked baseball bat, or go with the sniper or shotgun option. Stealth games are definitely improving.